This is the time to really nail the likeness. Sometimes I tape my reference photo next to the area I’m painting.
However, you must be careful with tape on the surface of the painting. The surface must be dry. I stick the tape to material first before resticking it to the canvas in order to reduce the adhesion. I do not leave tape sticking to the surface of a painting when I leave the easel.
I begin by adding a glaze. I use raw umber, raw sienna, and burnt umber either alone or in combination – however I can to begin to create the sitter’s skin tone. I may use a thin glaze of raw umber to draw details
(like eyelids) and enhance the form (above).
I glaze in the skintones very slowly and thinly. I let each layer dry before beginning the next.
I brush color into the cheeks and begin to define eye and hair color.
Note that if this was a woman of color I would begin with a darker value of skintone in the underpainting – the rest is exactly the same.
I am adding color slowly in layers of glazes. Then I am painting tiny bits of Titanium White + Yellow Ochre Pale into the wet glazes to build light.
Light is thick and opaque.
Shadow is thin and transparent.
I am mindful of the Old Master’s technique of color banding:
Yellow Ochre Pale is added to the forehead.
Reds (Indian Red and/or Alizarin Crimson Permanent) are added to the area from the eyebrow line to the chin.
A cool blue (French Ultramarine) is added to the neck and chest.
A glaze is a lot of medium (I use Liquin) with a little bit of transparent color. It will look a lot like pale stained glass.
\
Sometimes I scumble a color on the face to even out the tones and add luminosity. A scumble is a whole lot of medium (Liquin) with a little bit of opaque color (like Titanium White). It often looks like watered down milk.
After the underpainting in white, all of my layers are transparent or translucent. I already had a likeness so I didn’t want to lose it.
As I am doing the final glazes and scumbles on the face and hands, I am glazing other colors in the painting to enrich the colors.
Note that because of my earth palette, I don’t use the color “blue.” Instead I use Ivory Black + Titanium White to make the color blue. If at the end I want to intensify that color I can add a blue glaze if necessary.
All done.
<< Gwyneth Demo Part 4
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Joyce on Fri, 3rd Oct 2008 2:48 pm
This is beyond doubt one of the best painting tutorials I have ever seen. Thank you for bringing this to us.
Joyce
rserpe on Fri, 3rd Oct 2008 3:00 pm
You are most welcome Joyce!
But the thanks all go to Karin for sharing this demo with us.
Please be sure to visit her site and send her a thank you as well.
Enjoy!
- Ralph
ADITYA on Sat, 4th Oct 2008 9:17 am
its one of the most helping and aspiring tutorial i ever seen.
best wisheshes to artist for this good piece
and many many THANKS to share with all world.
Leona Palski on Sat, 4th Oct 2008 12:01 pm
Thank you so much for this tutorial! I am learning to do portraits. I am practicing with a portrait of my baby granddaughter. I paint in Acrylics and am self-taught. I am hoping to paint in oils in the future when more time is available.
Thanks again and have a great day! Leona
Armando S. Valdes on Sun, 16th Nov 2008 2:02 am
Thank you Karin, for such an inspirational tutorial. The quality of your work is outstanding. I googled your name and went to your site. It was pure joy to view your work, and I will go back to it to enjoy your work again and again. You have such an eye for reality mixed with an imagination and power. Your historical portraits (’painted after’) are fabulous, as well as the originals in your style. Thank you again, Armando
Jim Brock on Sat, 18th Jul 2009 3:20 pm
In the early 90’s I learned to paint the way you do from Dick Turner in Houston. I had to quit because of job demands. I am now retired and I paint all day long. This method of building up glazes is not a popular method. So I am very happy to discover your demo. Have you published a book that I may buy?
Thanx,
Jim Brock
cvramana on Sun, 19th Jul 2009 3:52 pm
marvellous
Bob Whiting on Sun, 23rd Aug 2009 11:47 pm
‘Brilliant’ comes to my mind, I wish I could do half as well. I’ve just started portrait pencil drawing, it’s not as easy as some people think. U.K
Sienna on Wed, 9th Dec 2009 3:49 am
This is like one of the best tutorials I’ve seen so far, and you even gave us the combinations of colours you use, unlike other tutorials. For some reason I find the background really enchanting, the colours are wonderful and are so smooth.
Carmen Leon on Wed, 9th Dec 2009 8:51 pm
I have always like Monet very much.
jen on Sat, 23rd Jan 2010 5:34 pm
just saying thanks for the tutorial. and for defining terms and describing techniques.
brian on Thu, 18th Feb 2010 5:54 pm
thanks for that, I have put off getting back into it and i dont know why, i know deep down i should and am now starting again – i did one portrait for my mother of her father [first one ever ] then i stopped i am determined to keep going till i get to where i feel i’ve “clicked” so your skill has motivated me “ta” ………. brian
sharon Grant on Thu, 13th May 2010 6:19 pm
I am doing a painting with three children in it and I am not a portrait artist.
I googled, and picked your demonstration. Thank you it was very good, I appreciated it.
AL Rawlinson on Wed, 23rd Jun 2010 1:59 pm
Started looking for a tutorial on portrait painting in oil, and came across this excellent and informative set of lessons. I have learned a lot just skimming through the pages!
Thanks a million, and particularly for firing me up for the next stages in my painting!
God Bless You